Liars
by iamconcussed
Summary: While working for the Ministry headed by the Dark Lord, Draco runs into a familiar face: Ginny Weasley. What she's doing working for the Dark Lord, Draco doesn't know, but he's determined to find out.
1. Chapter 1

It wasn't everyday that Draco found himself in his father's office. In fact, he hadn't seen his father in what seemed like weeks. Lucius had been exceedingly busy recently as Lord Voldemort had traveled to the United States. The senior Malfoy was always in charge while the Dark Lord was away. Acting Dictator was a popular name (among the lower class) for Lucius' position.

After Harry Potter was killed at the battle at Hogwarts, it took no time for Voldemort to take complete control of the Wizarding World. He, with the help of his snatchers, eradicated all remaining Muggle-born wizards. Few Half Bloods were allowed to stay, but most fled to the Muggle world. The Order was broken, most were killed, and the rest disappeared. It had been seven years since Harry was killed. Seven years felt like a lifetime to everyone.

Draco really hadn't seen his father in about a month. The note he received earlier had requested his attendance in Lucius' office by 13:40, but a quick glance at his golden wristwatch told him 17 minutes had passed since he had arrived, and his father was no where to be seen. He wanted to leave, but one did not just ignore a call from someone in Lucius' class.

The door opened swiftly and his graceful father entered, not seeming to notice Draco's presence. He had his nose in a stack of papers, sinking into his chair while maintaining his poise. "Draco," he greeted his son, still not looking up. "I feel I haven't seen you in at least a fortnight."

"It's true, father. You have a demanding job, I understand," Draco nodded in response. He turned when the door opened again, a young woman in a white blouse and grey pencil skirt entered, a file in her hand. She didn't bother to say anything to Lucius or even greet him; she merely opened the bottom drawer of a filing cabinet in the corner and bent over it. Draco raised an eyebrow as he watched.

"Ah yes," his father smirked, leaning over the large mahogany desk so that he could whisper to his son. "My new secretary."

Her very round bum was sticking straight up in the air. Draco's eyes traveled up her legs, along the line that went down the back of her pantyhose, and rested on the slit in the back of her skirt that almost allowed him a glimpse of her knickers. After another minute she stood up, flipping through the papers in the new file she had extracted.

"Lucius," she called, turning around. Her long red hair flipped over her shoulder and she pursed her pink lips before looking up at the two men. "Oh," she said softly, clearly shocked by Draco's attendance. "I'm so sorry, Mr. Malfoy. I didn't know you still had company," she apologized and began to leave the office.

"Miss Prewett," Lucius called, standing up and crossing the room. "Don't be ridiculous. Please, meet my son." He guided her over to where Draco was seated. The younger blond promptly stood to be introduced. "Draco this is my secretary of one month, and the best one yet," he added with a smile. "Miss Ginevra Prewett," he announced, holding her hand out to meet Draco's.

"Pleasure," Draco nodded, before bringing her small hand up to his lips. His heart was beating so loudly he was sure she would be able to hear it. "It's lovely to meet you."

"My son is the Head of Magical Enforcement," Lucius boasted, placing a hand on Draco's shoulder.

"Ah," Ginevra admired. "You must be almost as busy as your father."

"Not nearly," Draco assured her, smiling without realizing it, his cheeks hot. "I manage to find time for myself through all the work."

"And he assumes I never leave the office," Lucius chuckled, his eyes resting on his secretary. "I thought you two might get on quite well."

The clocked chimed, alarming all people in the room, but it was the woman who reacted the fastest. "You have a meeting with Gregory Goyle," she informed Lucius, with a side-glance at Draco. "You're discussing future security alarms in Hogsmeade."

"Yes," Lucius nodded, remembering the scheduled meeting finally. "Well, I am afraid I have to part. I will have to find another time to talk to you, Draco. Maybe we could speak at Zabini's Ball, Saturday night," he suggested. He grabbed his wand from his desk before exiting the room.

Draco stared at where his father had just departed. If he wasn't mistaken, he had seen his father's hand brush purposefully across his secretary's rear as he left. Draco knew that in the past his father had partaken in sexual activities with those below him in the office, but this self-proclaimed Prewett was different.

"I'm sorry," he said, meeting the woman's big brown eyes. "Please excuse my thoughtlessness, but what did you say your name was?"

"Prewett, Ginevra Prewett," she answered, holding his gaze as if to prove he didn't scare her. "I must be getting back to my research, but it was nice meeting you, Mr. Malfoy." She turned and began to leave.

"Will you be at Blaise Zabini's party?" Draco asked, attempting nonchalance, but seemingly failing as she turned around to face him.

She arched a single brick red eyebrow. She looked like she was trying to keep a smirk from forming on her face. "Your father has requested that I accompany him."

"And you've agreed to attend, Miss Weasley, excuse me, Miss Prewett," Draco corrected himself, waving his hand in the air as if to say he was embarrassed by his mistake.

Ginevra narrowed her eyes. She closed the door to the office and took the few steps she needed so that she was standing directly in front of Draco. "Look, _Draco_, I have worked my way up the ladder fair and square. I really do think we should leave the past in the past, I know your father has."

"Oh, he has?" Draco asked, folding his arms across his chest and leaning against the desk behind him. "He doesn't slip up and call you Weasley while you two are fucking, does he? Or worse, Potter." Her lip quivered for a moment and Draco wondered if he had gone to far.

"Jealous of your father, Draco?" she asked, pouting her lips at him. "How sad, considering he is twenty-some years your senior." She arched her back the slightest, her breasts now almost impossible for him to not at least glance down at.

"Oh please," he chuckled, shaking his head in mild disbelief. "I have better taste."

"You do? I bet your taste is exactly what it used to be." She stepped forward and brought a hand up to his chest, playing with a button on his shirt. She leaned her head in and pressed a kiss against his collar. She straightened up and looked into his eyes, her lips mere millimeters away from his.

Draco took in a deep breath; he felt like he was under a curse. His vision was foggy and he felt like he might pass out. He begged himself to do anything but lean in, but his body failed to listen to his brain. His lips parted, ready to meet the softness of the redhead's as he tilted forward.

She jerked back at the last second, her hands leaving hot prints on his body where they had previously been. "Mr. Malfoy," she scolded, scandalized. "How dare you!"

"You dirty little…"

"Not so fast," she smiled, making sure her hair was not out of place. "Be nice or I'll tell your father how you tried to force yourself on me," she threatened, a spark lighting up behind her honey eyes.

"He would never believe your lies," Draco spat, standing to his full height. He tried his best to intimidate the girl, but she seemed to be just as he remembered her: stubborn and clever.

"Oh, but Draco, he would," she insisted. "I know how you've acted in the past, and I know how much he despises when you steal what is his. Now stay away from me."

"I don't know what you think you are doing working for the Dark Lord. I don't know how you got the position you're in, but you better believe that I am going to find out. I'm going to discover all your deep dark secrets and you'll be lucky to receive a kiss from a Dementor," he promised her, brushing past and slamming the door behind him.


	2. Chapter 2

Draco swirled his scotch as he sat with his feet up on his desk. After finishing a pile of paperwork, he had decided to take a break and figure out if he should dig for knowledge on the so-called Prewett. It would be easy to out her as the blood traitor she was, but would his father forgive him for interfering? It was possible his father already had something planned and that was they needed to talk about. Maybe for once his father would include him in something.

"Knock, knock," Blaise called as he opened Draco's office door. He closed it with a slam and took a seat opposite Draco. "How has your day been?" Blaise worked in the Department of Mysteries and, although he was Draco's best friend, he spent more time talking to Lucius than Draco as of late. There was a large part of Draco that missed their Hogwarts days. All they cared about was themselves and, of course, girls.

Draco looked away from the window he stared out to clear his mind, and at his friend. "Subpar, actually. Yours?"

"You know, mysterious and all that rot. I actually was getting a bit distracted. Some new girl was passing messages back and forth between Lucius and me. She was quite delicious." Blaise's wiggled his eyebrows at his friend and smirked.

Draco pursed his lips for a moment to keep from saying more than he wanted. Maybe they did still only care for themselves and girls. "Oh? My father's new assistant, I must assume. I met her today as well," Draco nodded. There was something about Blaise's closeness with Lucius that told Draco to act as uninterested as possible.

"Yes," Blaise agreed, picking up a glass and pouring himself some scotch without bothering to ask. "I made sure she was attending my party, of course. I suppose you know that Lucius already asked her to come as his date. Bit obvious if you ask me, but I'm not married so I don't pretend to know what it is like."

It was more than a bit obvious. Draco's mother had been sick for only three days after being attacked by a werewolf, and he had already found another date for the weekend's festivities. Thankfully, on the day of his mother's attack it had not been a full moon, but merely a man who was unable to control his anger. Draco had suggested just the meeting before, that women should no longer attend while any werewolves were present. They had a nasty temper and a strong attraction to females.

"I don't suppose it is anything more than a work and networking outing," Draco shrugged.

"You agree that she is fetching, don't you?" Blaise questioned, narrowing his eyes in suspicion. "Are you planning to make a move, or have you already?"

"Don't be daft, Zabini. I would be stupid to even take a second glance at anything of my father's," Draco spat, turning away from his friend to stare out the window once more. "I was introduced to her and then I welcomed her to the office, nothing more."

"Well, if I was her boss, I would certainly have her attend all out of town meetings. Lovely little thing she is," Blaise chuckled, downing the last of the contents of his glass. He stood afterwards, stretching his neck and setting his glass down on the silver tray. "I suppose I will see you tomorrow night. Don't forget that this whole casino party is about getting the Americans to agree with our new blood screening protocol. Bring your best smile, I hear they have plenty of women on the board," Blaise informed him with a wink. He walked to the door and opened it, turning to face Draco once more before leaving. "You've got a bit of lipstick on your collar. It must have happened during the welcoming speech you gave your father's secretary. See you tomorrow."

Draco covered his eyes with his hand and took a deep breath before looking down at his collar and swearing. "Stupid bint," he growled, taking a wand to the lip print and removing it. There was nothing he needed less than Blaise taking an interest in Draco's interest in the secretary. It was just so damn suspicious that she was some how working such a high level job with a fake name. Had she changed it in the records some how? Of course the Dark Lord would not allow this girl to be a part of his regime. She could be giving information to some sort of underground order revival. There was only one man who could help him.

Draco stood quickly and left his office, not bothering to tell his own secretary where he was going. It was no use anyway; she could never remember a single thing he told her. Hopefully it wouldn't be too late to catch someone in the interior.

When he came upon the office he was looking for, he knocked politely, waiting to be invited in. "Yes," a voice barked in a not so inviting way.

Draco stepped in and smiled at his old school friend. "Theodore, it's always great to see you."

Theodore Nott looked up from his crowded desk to nod in response to his guest. "Yes, yes, what is it, Malfoy? What do you need?" The man promptly continued a search for a paper among the many stacks of files.

"I was wondering if you could do me a great favor and let me look at the file on someone who just began working here in the past couple of months," Draco requested, hoping that he caught the man in a good mood.

"Who, Draco? Starting a Muggle hunt against some new employee who bumped into you?" Theodore asked, mocking him. He smiled once he pulled a piece of parchment out of a huge pile. "Ah-ha!" Theodore signed something on it before handing it to the owl hovering near his windowsill. "Who is it?"

"Ginevra Prewett, my father's new secretary," he said, perching on the armrest of the seat across from Theodore.

Theodore looked up at Draco with a pained expression. "No, Draco, I can't." He turned back to his work and continued to organize things, ignoring Draco's presence.

"Why? You helped me find that man two weeks ago who purchased the last apple in the cafeteria. Why do you suddenly have morals?" Draco questioned with a sneer. This was his only possible place of beginning the digging on this girl.

Theodore rolled his eyes and looked up lazily at Draco. "I can't give you her file, so don't ask."

"Why can't I just glance at it?" Draco demanded, his voice rising slightly.

"Because I don't have it," he answered simply.

"And that would be because…?" Draco led him with a questioning glance.

"Because she is a class A employee and her file is kept where the rest of the class A employee files are kept," Theodore answered with a huff.

"In the Dark Lord's office," Draco nodded quietly.

"Yes, now I would appreciate it if you left me to my work."

Draco left without another word and sighed when he returned to his office. If she was class A, then the Dark Lord had invited her to work for him. Draco worried to think it incase the Dark Lord was somehow reading his thoughts from countries away, but was he stupid enough to hire someone with a fake name? Could he be that thoughtless?

"Kendall," Draco called to his secretary with a sigh. He had been meaning to hire a new secretary, but unfortunately he normally had more pressing matters to attend to.

"Yes, Mr. Malfoy," she smiled at his doorway. She pushed her frizzy hair out of her face and rubbed her lips together in an attempt to fix her lipstick.

"When is the Dark Lord returning?" Draco questioned, setting his head in his hand. He was in a difficult place, but the more time he had the better.

"Tomorrow, sir," she answered with a small nod of her head.

"Fucking hell…" Draco mumbled under his breath.

"But then he leaves promptly the next day, Sunday, in the morning for Australia," she continued, playing with the badge that hung around her neck.

"Okay, thank you, Kendall," Draco nodded, waiting for the woman to leave.

The best plan of action Draco could think of involved no one but himself. To question the Dark Lord's decisions was literally a death sentence, so Draco had to go a different route. If he were able to uncover information and then slowly allow the Dark Lord to uncover it himself, it would be as if Draco was not even involved. He would have to make sure it was clear that he did not know all of the details, or the Dark Lord would be angry that he did not share the information sooner. Problems with the Dark Lord really had no solution but death.


	3. Chapter 3

Parties in the Pureblood community were frequent and uniform. Although the last party Draco attended had a more elegant and classic theme, Blaise's casino party looked the same. Sure people were now dressed primarily in black instead of pastels, but it was all the same guests with the same intentions: kissing higher-level arse.

Draco spotted Pansy by the bar and decided to join her. She looked quite lovely in a simple black silk dress with her hair in its usual short bob. She turned around to lean against the bar with a martini in her hand. She smiled when she saw Draco walking towards her.

"Hello, there, I don't believe we've met," she said, holding out her right hand.

Draco smirked and took the gloved hand, pressing a kiss atop it. "Very funny, Parkinson. I've been quite busy."

She nodded and sipped her drink. "Yes, too busy to even return an owl."

Draco took a drink from the bar and turned back to the girl. "How have you been? How are things with the guy, what's his name?"

"I'm fine and I dumped Roger two weeks ago, not that you would have any way of knowing since we haven't spoken since March." She took another sip of her drink, her eyes scanning the party. "I heard the Dark Lord is coming tonight," she commented with a mysterious twinkle in her eye.

"No, Pansy," Draco said sternly. "You're going to get yourself killed. Do you remember what happened to Astoria?"

She waved her hand and rolled her eyes. "Yes, well, Astoria was an idiot and became too attached and then tried to make him jealous. Who would have guessed that sleeping with another man while seeing the Dark Lord would result in your death and the death of more than half of your bloodline? Bloody stupid witch if you ask me," Pansy commented, keeping her eyes on the door as people entered.

"She wasn't seeing him, Pansy," Draco corrected her, angry that his friend seemed so careless and ill informed. "Pansy," Draco snapped, grabbing her chin and forcing her to look at him. "No one dates the Dark Lord. Stop going after him or you will be killed."

She pulled his hand off of her and scowled at him. "Don't touch me like that." She rubbed her chin and looked back at Draco. "I'm not doing anything stupid, trust me."

"I wish I could."

They stood in silence and looked at the different tables of games. Draco wanted to apologise, but more than that he wanted to convince her to stay away from the Dark Lord. It was like his friend had a death wish. He opened his mouth to finally apologise when Pansy's jaw dropped.

"Who is that?" Pansy asked, squinting to see the door better.

Draco turned to see his father and Ginevra entering. Blaise shook hands with Lucius and gave Ginevra a kiss on the cheek before taking their cloaks and handing them to a house elf next to him. Ginevra was wearing a full-length red dress with a slit up the side. She was the only one at the party wearing red, but clearly Lucius had agreed to take the risk, as his dress robe accents matched her dress.

"Bloody hell, she's gorgeous. Oh, Draco," Pansy snorted, looking at Draco with a sad smile.

"What?" Draco demanded, looking at his friend with a raised eyebrow.

"Nothing, it's just that one might expect the younger Malfoy to have the beautiful young witch on his arm. Lucius still has it, though, no denying that," Pansy admitted, smoothing down her hair as the couple headed towards them.

"That's disgusting," Draco snapped. "Maybe you should go after a man your own age, just once."

"Men my own age are constantly ignoring my owls; it would never work out. Either that or they're gay," she added, tossing a look over her shoulder at Gregory Goyle and Vincent Crabbe who were holding hands.

"Hello," Lucius greeted the two. "Pansy, my love, you look amazing. This is Ginevra Prewett. Ginevra, this is Pansy Parkinson."

Ginevra shook Pansy's hand politely and coyly glanced at Draco out of the corner of her eye. "Pleasure," Ginevra smiled. "I've heard about your expansion on Grey's theory. I have always believed that Forren Grey was on the right track when he began his research in the 70s. You'd think that by now we would have found a way to harness power from other willing Purebloods."

Pansy stood, frozen, as she stared at the redhead in front of her. It would seem that never had she known anyone to take such an interest in what she did. She smiled and broke her silence. "You would think that, but it's harder than you can imagine."

"I'd believe it," Ginevra nodded in agreement.

Lucius bent his head down and whispered something in Ginevra's ear to which she nodded. "We'll be back," Lucius announced stepping away from Ginevra and taking her hand to wrap around his arm. "We must circulate, but we'll come and find you later."

"It was lovely meeting you, Pansy. We'll have to get lunch some time to talk more about your findings," Ginevra smiled. She allowed Lucius to take her away and stop to talk to another couple.

Pansy hummed to herself and finished her martini. "I quite like her," she commented, stepping away from the bar. She began her own walk around the festivities.

"Hang on," Draco called after her, setting his drink down and following. "You can't possibly trust her!" He pushed through the crowded ballroom. They passed tables of people talking and playing card games.

"She seems nice to me," Pansy shrugged, plucking an hor d'oeuvre from a silver tray a server was carrying. "Gorgeous, too. Shame I didn't get the memo about your father looking for a new mistress, though." She popped the small piece of food into her mouth and continued walking.

"She's not his mistress. Besides, we went to school with her, remember?" Draco asked, catching up to Pansy and staying beside her.

Pansy bit the inside of her cheek as she thought. "No, not a bit. Are you sure? Maybe she was from Beauxbatons and you remember her from fourth year." She stopped her walk at an empty table near the door. She sat down so she was facing the entrance, hoping to be able to see when a certain man arrived.

"She was Potter's girlfriend, Pansy," Draco reminded her, taking a seat beside her. "She was a year below us. She was on the Gryffindor Quidditch team."

"The Quidditch team?" Pansy exclaimed, knocking herself on the head with her palm. "How could I forget the people on the Gryffindor Quidditch team? Thoughtless of me, really," Pansy commented sarcastically.

"Her name is Ginny," Draco spat, angry at Pansy's complete disinterest in hearing him out. "She had those scuffed up oxfords and always wore her hair in braids. You have to remember."

Pansy looked at him for a minute without saying anything, then suddenly began smirking. "Oh Merlin, Draco. You had a thing for the girl, didn't you?"

Draco swallowed and clenched his jaw in anger. "Wha—how dare you? I—I did not. That's just—that's ridiculous, it is."

Pansy leaned forward onto the table, breaking into a full smile as she watched Draco squirm uncomfortably in his seat. She pointed in his face and laughed. "Fucking hell, you fancied her. You fancied Potter's girlfriend!"

"So you do remember her!" Draco snapped, grabbing Pansy's finger.

She pulled away from him and leaned back in her seat, crossing her legs. "Of course I remember her, Draco. Everyone and their brother wanted to shag the poor, naïve girl."

"You bitch," he snarled, sneering and looking away from his friend. He huffed, still angry, but also still wanting to discuss Ginny. "Well," he began, his tone still short, "do you know why she is going by a different name?"

Pansy sighed and rolled her eyes. "Are you seriously asking me that? Do you really not know why she might want to change her name?"

It was true; Draco did know why someone with such a tarnished name might want to go by a more prestigious pureblood name. He imagined if something were to happen to the Dark Lord (knock on wood), he would have to do a lot to bring trust back to the Malfoy name. The Dark Lord would never allow someone with the last name Weasley to survive. In fact he hadn't allowed any of them to survive. Well, one seemed to have slipped through the cracks.

"Besides, Ginevra is her name. She's just going by her Mother's maiden name. Is that such a crime?" Pansy asked, seemingly uninterested in the topic of the redhead, when her eyes lit up. "Did you have sex with her?"

Draco's eyes widened, confused by her question. "What? Why would you think that?"

"I just remember back at school that you were shagging someone but you wouldn't tell any of us who it was," Pansy said, shrugging. "I figured maybe it was her."

"I'll have you know that it was Cho Chang, and the reason I didn't tell anyone was because she asked me to have some discretion. I don't always kiss and tell," Draco sighed, tapping his fingers on the black tablecloth. "I can't believe you actually thought I was fucking her of all people."

"Who of all people?" The voice came from behind Draco, and Ginevra walked around to sit beside Pansy.

"Miss Prewett," Draco greeted. "I see you've escaped my father's grasps."

"He has to supervise the Dark Lord's arrival," Ginevra informed him, sipping from a champagne glass daintily. "As I'm not class A, I am not allowed to be by his side."

Not class A? Draco wondered. But she was class A. Theodore Nott may have been disorganized, but he certainly was never wrong and he was definitely not a liar. "How unfortunate," Draco commented.

"I'll be back," Pansy said, getting up. "I'm going to the loo to touch up my makeup." She pushed her chair in and made her way through the crowd.

Draco looked over to the redhead slowly, noticing she was looking in a completely different direction. Who was she focusing on so intently? It looked to be Neville Longbottom, wrapping his arm around a girl as he threw dice on to one of the red velvet tables. Boy, was he ever a surprise. He ended up being one of the most skilled Death Eaters.

"So you and my father are close?" Draco asked, drawing her attention away from her ex-housemate.

"I suppose. I've been working for him for over a month now," she answered with a shrug. She set her glass down and fixed the top of her dress, pulling all of her long hair to one side.

How nice of her to pretend that she wasn't shagging his father. "Yes, but to be his date to a ball; seems fairly serious."

"Serious?" she scoffed. "He's not courting me, Mr. Malfoy. He's my boss. It's nothing more than a work—"

"A work relationship?" Draco interrupted. "You see, I would believe you, but I'm not a moron. I see you two touching. He is still very much married to my mother. You'd think with her in the hospital, you might try to stay away from him." He snarled at her and leaned forward, preparing to tell her the worst of his thoughts. "If you don't—"

The big oak doors flew open and silence fell over the crowded hall. The Dark Lord had arrived. He stepped inside with all of his closest followers at his side, Lucius included. The Dark Lord was dapper as usual, with his young face still in perfect condition. Draco supposed it was just another great thing about immortality: you could look twenty forever. Draco looked across the table at Ginevra and was surprised to see her examining at the Dark Lord with great interest in her eyes. So common it was for girls to fall for his good looks, forgetting who he was and all that he did. Maybe Ginevra was nothing but another pureblood girl trying to find a place in the new order. It was a possibility. She certainly wasn't staring at the Dark Lord like she wanted him dead. This was the man that killed her entire family and all of her loved ones. He even tried to kill her once upon a time.

"Now the festivities will truly commence," the Dark Lord announced with an eerie smile.

Draco and Ginevra stood in unison, looking to the other with confusion, but beginning their walk to the front of the hall together. "You should stay back and let him come to you," Draco advised her, continuing on.

"Thank you, but I can take care of myself. I've done it for the past seven years," she added quietly.

Draco was unsure if he was supposed to hear the last bit of what she said. It was true that she had lived alone since she was about 16. Well, unless she had found some open home, which was highly unlikely. She probably hid out in where ever the order had stationed itself. It never was found, now that Draco thought about it.

"The Dark Lord should come to you, never the other way around. How would you know he wanted you to come at all?" he told her.

She looked to him, a twinkle in her eye and a smirk on her lips. "The Dark Lord always wants me to come." She picked up her pace and entered the circle of dark wizards before Draco did.

Draco watched his father wrap his arm around her, only to be pushed away. The Dark Lord pulled her towards him by her hand, bringing it slowly up to his lips and kissing it. Draco hurried closer to hear the exchange.

"My lovely girl," the Dark Lord smiled, releasing her hand and taking in her whole appearance. "I see you wore my favorite color. Did that cross your mind while you picked the dress?" He paused to grin down at her and then held out his arm. "Care to accompany me as I speak to the Americans?"

"I would be honored," Ginevra answered, accepting his arm.

Draco studied them as they walked away. "What was that?" he asked his father, turning to him. He expected to exchange equally confused expressions, but he was greeted by nothing more than a slight grimace.

"Do not stick your nose where it does not belong, my son," Lucius commented, turning to begin a conversation with Rudolphus Lestrange.

It was unlike his father to tease him so. He knew saying something like that would only further Draco's interests in the matter. Now Draco was even more determined to find out what the girl's story was.

He began to follow the couple, but soon realized that it was extremely inappropriate to tail the Dark Lord. Draco made a quick turn and spotted Theodore from across the hall. He needed to clear up the confusion regarding Ginevra's employee status.

"Theodore," Draco greeted, giving his friend a sincere smile.

Theodore did not look pleased to see the younger Malfoy. "What is it?" he snapped, stepping away from the girl he had been speaking to.

"Do you know why Ginevra said she wasn't class A?" he asked, a sarcastic tone of confusion.

"I didn't lie to you," Theodore hushed, pushing Draco farther away from the rest of the group they were near. "This is not the place to talk about things like this. You never know who is near you."

"Does that mean there is a reason for me to be asking these questions?" Draco was becoming more and more suspicious with every twitch of Theodore's left eyebrow.

"Just know that the Dark Lord does have her file. I don't—My Lord!" he exclaimed, stepping forward and away from Draco. He bowed low, showing his respect to the man in front of him. "How was your visit to the States?"

The Dark Lord looked him up and down and sneered before speaking. "Quite fine, Nott," he answered curtly. "I was hoping you could tell me about why we have two more people than we need working the Stratmore bill? Do you think money should just be thrown away?"

Theodore looked scared beyond reason. He fumbled through words, staring at the floor and avoiding the Lord's eyes at all costs. "Of course not, my Lord. I was told more hands were needed so I quickly hired two more intelligent men. They had the highest blood statuses and were extremely knowledgeable about how to get the community on board."

Draco watched the scene in front of him, but ignored Theodore's ramblings. His eyes were focused on the small physical interaction between the Dark Lord and Ginevra Prewett. The girl had her hand around his upper arm, stroking him softly. Her eyes were darting around the room. He couldn't help but notice she was tapping one of her feet on the offbeat of the song echoing through the hall. Looking around to possible people she might be staring at, there was sudden commotion in front of him.

A man pushed between Theodore and the group behind him, shoving him into the Dark Lord. Draco winced for Theodore; he flew forward much more than Draco would have expected given the force that hit him. In an effort to insure his own safety, the Dark Lord held his hand up to push Theodore away, unfortunately reaching for his champagne glass. The Dark Lord called out in pain as the glass broke, cutting his palm and fingers. Both men ended up on the floor.

"My Lord," Ginevra exclaimed, ignoring Theodore completely. She pulled a handkerchief from her bosom and quickly began wrapping it around his injured hand. "Are you alright?"

He sat up and gave Theodore a kick before looking back at Ginevra. "Yes, my love, thank you," he said, standing. He removed her makeshift bandaged and healed himself instantly.

She quickly took the handkerchief from him and inspected his hand. "Are you sure?"

"Yes," he nodded, turning to look down at Theodore.

"I'm going to clean this," she informed the men, holding the bloody cloth up. Ginevra quickly turned, pushing through the crowd to the back of the ballroom.

Draco sighed when he lost sight of her before being able to tell where exactly she was going. "Is there anything I can do for you, my Lord?" Draco asked.

The Dark Lord ignored him, helping Theodore to his feet. "Are you alright, my boy?" he questioned, faux-concern evident in his voice. "Someone get this man a new drink," he chuckled, clapping him on the back. The area around them laughed, a wave of relief washing over everyone. He grabbed Theodore's upper arm tightly. "Don't ever fucking touch me again," the Dark Lord whispered into Theodore's ear, an unnerving smile on his face.

"Yes, m'Lord," Theodore nodded, tugging his arm from the man's grasp. He gave Draco a quick glance before returning to his group of friends.

The Dark Lord looked around for a second, then his eyes landed on Draco. "I seem to have misplaced my date," he commented, stepping towards the blond. "How have things been going during my absence? Has Lucius been keeping up with everything?"

Draco unclenched his jaw, forcing himself not to ask about Ginevra. "Yes, my Lord. He has been doing an amazing job. He is much more organized than last time."

The Dark Lord smiled, his paper-white teeth showing in an almost predatory way. "All he needed was a new secretary. I'm glad he finally found one."

"You seem quite fond of her," Draco said, immediately regretting it. He saw the slight change in the man's face.

"Draco," he shook his head slowly, taking another step forward. "You would do well to leave her be. I know you have an affinity for redheads, but this one is not looking for another Malfoy to follow her around. You and your father are such loyal men, but neither of you can seem to trust the other. Let your father alone, and I assure you, things will be better."

"There was a line for lavatories, I am sorry for taking so long," Ginevra apologized, taking her place beside the Dark Lord once more.

"That's quite alright, my dear. I was just finishing up a business plan with Draco," he explained to her, turning to Draco once more. "Make your rounds and return home," he ordered the blond. Giving him another harsh look, which Draco assumed was him attempting Legilemency, he continued through the ball.

Draco nodded, and made his way to the opposite side of the ballroom. He never liked having to avoid the Dark Lord, but the party would go much faster if he kept to himself. Debating about leaving, he caught the eye of one of the American representatives and headed her way. Finally, something to get his mind off of life, he thought as she sized him up.


	4. Chapter 4

A/N: Just want to warn everyone that there is violence and mentions/assumptions of non-consensual sex in this chapter. If that makes you uncomfortable please do not read!

* * *

After coming home too drunk to think straight, Draco collapsed in the nearest bed. He awoke in a guest room in the west wing of the Manor. Confused with why he even returned to the Manor instead of his flat in London, Draco sat in bed trying to recount the previous night. If he remembered correctly, at least two women from the American team were on board with using the new blood screening protocol that the Dark Lord created.

His head was pounding and his only saving grace was a small voice in the back of his head reminding him it was Sunday, a day created to do nothing but lay around. He tried to ignore the pain and exited the unfamiliar guest room into the hallway. _Why did every hall in the Manor look identical?_ It was impossible to find one's way around when one was not on top of everything.

Leaning against the nearest wall, Draco took a few deep breaths, trying to steady himself. Upon remaining silent, he began to hear footsteps coming from a nearby room. He was nowhere near his father's chambers, nor any of the elves' rooms, that he was sure of. There was a chance his father brought home some slag and attempted to hide it from anyone by sleeping in a different wing.

"Shit," a girl whispered, after a door slammed.

She was just one hall over from him judging by the echoing of her movements. He could tell she was getting closer and he stood straight, ready to give the girl dirty looks and launch into a series of demeaning comments.

The woman took in a sharp breath when she turned the corner and saw him. "Mr. Malfoy," Ginevra greeted, tilting her head down so he could not look her in the eye.

"I can't believe you," Draco spat, disgusted with the redhead in front of him. "I told you what I would do if I saw you with my father and you did it anyway. You're about to…" He stopped when she looked up and he saw the dark circles under her red eyes. She wasn't hung over, she had been crying. He took a step closer to her and studied her face.

"What? You're done yelling at me?" she asked, her shaking voice sounded defeated and broken.

Draco didn't know anything about his father's sex life, nor did he want to, but when his eyes drifted to Ginevra's neck he suddenly knew too much. There were deep purple finger shaped bruises along her windpipe and the side of her neck. He could imagine seeing them and not caring for a second glance, but the look on her face told him she was not pleased with the events of the night. "Are you okay? Did he…"

Her brown eyes grew large and she pushed him back. "Hide," she demanded, pushing him once more. "Now," she whispered harshly.

Draco heard a click from a door down the hall once more. He took her orders and turned another corner, waiting for what would happen. His father couldn't possibly punish Draco for being in a house he had rights to.

"Ginny, my love," a deep voice called, sending shivers down Draco's back. She hadn't spent the night with his father.

"My Lord," she answered, her voice taking on a sweet quality it did not have mere seconds before.

"You ran off before I could say goodbye. I'm leaving for Sydney now. I'll be gone for at least a week," he informed her.

Draco sneaked a peek around the corner after applying a disillusionment spell on himself. He would never dare try something outside of the Manor, but the house protected him in ways that even the Dark Lord couldn't counter. Draco watched the young-appearing man run his hands over the redhead, pulling at the fabric of her wrinkled gown. His hands continued upwards on a journey that ended at her neck. Leaning down, he placed kisses over her bruises.

"So human," he groaned between movements. Picking his head up, the Dark Lord smiled at her, his fingers tightening around her neck once more.

Ginevra winced in pain, but did nothing to stop the man. She clamped her eyes shut, tears falling down her cheeks silently. It was another moment before she began making choking noises, unable to breath and unable to even try to stop the man before her.

"So mortal," he shook his head with a chuckle, keeping his hold on her neck. "You are so fragile."

"Please," she choked out, her face pale.

With one final squeeze, the Dark Lord released her, but she refrained from gasping for breath. "All you had to do is ask, my love." He pat the top of her head. "I'll see you in a week," he said, bowing his head for a final kiss. Stepping back to Apparate, he surveyed her once more. "Don't cover the bruises up," he told her before turning on the spot and disappearing.

Ginevra collapsed in a heap, gasping and beginning to cry hysterically. She pushed her hair out of her face, trying to take in as much air as possible.

Draco came to her side quickly, dropping to his knees and checking her pupils. "Are you okay?" He didn't expect her to answer, but he didn't know what else to say. "Try to stop crying, you'll be able to breathe better." Draco held the sides of her face, hoping to calm her. She jumped from his touch when one of his fingers brushed against her neck. "I'm sorry." He felt better as her skin began to color once more.

"I'm just going to go home," she breathed, attempting to stand shakily. She used the wall to pull herself up but began falling once more when her legs gave out.

Draco caught her, worried about her state. "You can't Apparate, you'll splinch yourself." He moved her back against the wall, helping her stand. "I can take you home if you wish."

She nodded, her head sagging against him. After a long inhale, she mumbled her address to him. She gripped his shirt tightly after he wrapped his arms around her.

"Take a deep breath," he told her, pulling her hair to one side and tucking it into her the back of her dress to prevent it from getting in her face on the journey. "1, 2, 3," he counted, Apparating to the address she told him.

They landed in her bedroom. Draco wanted to look around and study the area, but Ginny began to fall from his arms. He swiftly helped her lay on the bed.

"Help," she choked, clawing at her dress. She rolled over, her face in the bed, and pulled at the strings on her back that tied up her gown. "Please," she begged, unable to remove the dress by herself.

Draco pulled at the ribbons, undoing them as quickly as he could. As soon as they were loose he helped her roll over. He backed up as she pulled the dress off and collapsed back onto the bed. She was wearing nothing but a small pair of knickers. It was a strange moment, standing there staring at her naked body. His eyes traveled over her body, noticing the many marks she received as a result of the war. There were little scars and scraps on her body, but nothing compared to the deep long scar that ran from her chest to her pelvis. It was clearly the work of Bellatrix. She had always chosen a knife over a wand.

"Thank you," she sighed, having finally regained her breath enough to calm herself. She seemed to be more aware of her surroundings, and quickly brought an arm over her naked chest.

"Do you have a healer's kit somewhere?" he asked, looking around for a bathroom off of the bedroom.

She shook her head and sighed once more. "I can't heal anything."

"I can do it," he offered. "I'm not licensed, but I'm fairly competent."

"No, I mean I am not allowed to," she told him, her voice wavering.

"Do you feel well enough to sit up? I'd like to check your pupils," he said, sitting on the edge of the bed. He watched her slowly rise up and face him, her eyes somewhat distant.

"Is this that dilated pupil trick?" she asked, leaning towards him.

Draco's heart stopped. "No trick, just making sure you don't have a concussion." He held her chin and studied her eyes for a minute and then let go of her, standing up.

"So what's the prognosis, Healer? Am I in love? Did my pupils dilate?" she asked, lying back down.

"You don't have a concussion," he answered flatly, uncomfortable. "Do you need me to stay?"

"Have you ever stayed?" she asked, her eyes on the ceiling.

"I'll take that as an invitation to leave," Draco said, picking up her dress from the floor and throwing it over the back of her desk chair.

"Draco," she murmured, propping herself up on her elbow, her other arm still holding her breasts. "Don't tell your father about any of this."

"Don't worry, he won't know about you and the Dark Lord," Draco assured her.

"No," she cut in quickly. "Don't tell him you took me home."

Draco stared at her for another moment before Apparating back to the manor.


	5. Chapter 5

He couldn't ignore it. It was Monday morning and it was still burned in his mind. He saw it. He saw a motive. He saw Harry Potter's picture hanging on her wall. He saw 'for Harry' written on the white frame.

With his wand in his hand, Draco Apparated to work, the picture hanging on Ginevra's wall was the only thing on his mind. "Fuck," he cursed as he landed in his father's reception area wrong, cracking his knee against the secretary's desk.

"Mr. Malfoy, good morning. How can I help you?" Ginevra asked, her hair down, falling in loose curls. She was wearing a turtleneck, pulled up as high as possible. The skin underneath her eyes was sparkling from the amount of cover up charms she was wearing.

His instant reaction was sympathy. He wanted to be angry and to be accusatory, but her innocent face made his stomach churn. "Good morning, Miss Prewett. I was just going to see if my father is in, but I don't think I need to talk to him anymore."

"He's here, I can go get him," Ginevra said, standing up and smoothing down her skirt. She disappeared into his father's office for a moment before coming back out, a small smile on her face. "He'll be with you in a second." She sat back down and signed the paper in front of her. "How was your weekend, sir?"

Draco swallowed, looking over his shoulder to see if any stray ministry worker was passing by. "Why would you ask me that?"

She looked up with a blank face. "I was just being polite," she explained unassertively, looking back to her papers. "Excuse me if it was over stepping the bounds of our relationship."

"No, don't be like that," he snapped, placing his hands on her desk and leaning down. "My weekend was awful, if you must hear me say it. I…"

"Draco, come in," Lucius called, opening his office door and immediately turning and walking back to his desk.

Draco looked over Ginny's face once more before walking into Lucius' office, closing the door behind him. "Father," Draco greeted tightly, taking a seat in one of the large leather chairs in front of his father's mahogany desk.

"Son," Lucius replied, pursing his lips after speaking. "What is it you need?" He crossed his legs and placed his hands on his desk. "I am a very busy man."

"As I well know, Father. I wanted to speak about Miss Prewett. I don't think she is devoted to the Dark Lord," Draco whispered harshly, leaning forward in his seat.

Lucius laughed loudly, unlike anything Draco had ever heard before. "Are you sure you aren't the one who's not devoted?"

"Sorry?" Draco asked, his eyebrows rose in shock.

"He sent you home for bad behavior Saturday night, everyone knows," Lucius informed him, standing up to find a book from the right side of the shelf that ran around his room. "Are you trying to take it out on our dear Ginevra?"

Draco clenched his jaw in anger. "No, Father, she is devoted to one person: Harry Potter."

Lucius' back stiffened and he turned around slowly. "You'd do well to not say that name in this office, in this building really. Are you an idiot?" Lucius asked simply.

Draco did not respond. He merely stayed seated, staring forward, not making eye contact with his father. This was precisely what he was worried would happen. His father was so blindly devoted to all that was given to him that he never gave anything a second thought. It seemed everyone working at the ministry thought that way, save the few people that Draco trusted the most.

Lucius crossed the room once more and stepped between Draco and the grand desk. "Do you know what I am supposed to do when someone questions the Dark Lord, Draco?" Lucius pulled his wand from his cane and bent forward, his face in Draco's. "I'm supposed to kill them. Why is it you are giving me reason to kill you?"

"I am not, Father. I am sharing with you a concern that there is someone among us who is trying to hurt us," Draco explained calmly.

"That person is you," Lucius spat, whipping around and shoving his wand back into his cane. He walked around his desk and took a seat. "How dare you question the Dark Lord? How dare you suggest that he has been fooled? He is the man who kept you alive when no one else cared to, and here you are saying he has hired someone who does not believe in his power. You are more than stupid, you have a death wish."

Draco stared at the desk his father was sitting at, never letting his eyes move up to his father's. He wanted to take it back, but he did not want his father to forget the information about his secretary. He needed his father to be on the lookout for suspicious behavior. If Ginevra were to plan anything or follow through with any rebel attack, Lucius would be the first killed by the Dark Lord, that is if Ginevra decided to spare him.

"I am sorry, Father. I was stupid to question my Lord. But I do think we should watch Miss Prewett as I am suspicious she is still in love with Potter," Draco said in a defeated voice. He hoped his tone would allow Lucius to actually listen and not feel attacked.

"Still in love with him, Draco?" Lucius asked, giving Draco a blank look.

Draco nodded and watched a smile breakout on his father's face. Lucius began laughing whole-heartedly, his hand on his chest as he barked.

"Oh, my son. How can someone love someone who is dead?" Lucius broke his laughter to ask the question. His hand swept under his eye, wiping away tears of laughter.

"Do we truly know he is dead?" Draco interrupted the laughing.

Lucius stopped immediately, his face frozen. He looked shocked, worried, and interested for a split second before his features twisted into a deep sneer. "Get out before I am forced to kill you."

Draco stood and left the office as he was told. He heard Ginevra greet him once more, but he ignored her. He knew where he had to go and he knew how much time he had. His feet carried him without thinking, and soon he was knocking on a familiar door.

"What?" the man within snapped as usual.

Draco opened the door and closed it quickly behind him. "Theo, I need your help," he said, sitting down on the tiny guest chair. Theodore's office was a fourth the size of Lucius', and most of it was covered in files and stacks of paper.

"Oh, no. Oh, no, no, no, no," Theodore answered, shaking his head rapidly. "You are not getting me in any more trouble!" Theodore stood and opened a filing cabinet near Draco, shoving in a pile of papers and then looking for another.

"Where are death records kept?" Draco asked anyway.

Theodore froze and turned around slowly, his eyes were big with worry. "Is someone missing?"

"No, I want to make sure someone is dead," Draco elaborated, taking a deep breath before continuing. "I don't think Harry Potter is dead."

Theodore lunged forward, a murderous look on his face. He clamped his hand over Draco's mouth tightly. "Do not say that name in my office," he whispered harshly. "I cannot believe you are senseless enough to say something like that, even with the Dark Lord out. He has ears everywhere." Theodore took his hand from Draco's mouth and picked up his wand. He silenced the office and locked his door. "Why are you suspicious of this?"

Draco took a moment to gather his thoughts and what he wanted to share with Theodore. "I was at Ginevra Prewett's house and she had a picture of herself with him. It had 'for Harry' written along the bottom."

Theodore raised his eyebrows, waiting for Draco to continuing. When he didn't, Theodore seemed confused. "What does that prove? That picture could have been taking seven years ago. If anything it's proof that he is dead. Why would she write that if he was alive?"

"But the photo was in front the Weasley's house," Draco began.

"Which was burned down just after _he_ was killed," Theodore reminded Draco.

Draco found it comical how it was not okay to say Harry Potter's name. Apparently who ever was against the entity in power became known as 'you-know-who.' "Yes, but that is what I'm trying to tell you. They were sitting in the gardens that used to surround the Burrow, but now just surround the black hole in the ground. They were sitting in front of the black hole. The picture was taking after the house was burned down."

Theodore's eyes were glossy and his lips were twitching. "It can't be, Draco. Everyone knows he was killed. Everyone saw his dead body. He was declared dead in the forest on the 2nd of May, 1998."

"Yes, but who declared him dead?" Draco asked. "Surly it wasn't the Dark Lord himself."

Theodore looked around his office for a moment before finally meeting Draco's eyes. "No, it wasn't the Dark Lord. It was your mother."

Draco's heart began pounding. If Harry Potter was still alive, his mother knew. If he was found still alive, his mother would be killed. "I'll have to visit her."

"Do not ask her while she is in St. Mungo's. It's more closely watched than here," Theodore reminded him. The taller boy's eyebrows drew together in thought. "But, if he's alive, then Ginevra knows and if Ginevra knows then the Dark Lord should know. He riffles through everyone's thoughts as he passes them and he was quite cozy with her during Zabini's party."

"That's what I don't understand. If she doesn't believe in the Dark Lord, then how is she still alive?" Draco asked angrily. He sunk in his seat, resting his head against the back of chair.

"Well," began Theodore with a slight shrug. "There is one thing that might give us more information." He pulled his desk chair up to the tallest cabinet in his room and stood up on the seat.

"Hanging ourselves to see if Potter's in the afterlife after all?" Draco asked, barely picking his head up to look at Theodore.

Theodore reached up to the top of the cabinet and pulled down a box that Draco hadn't been able to see. He stuck the tip of his wand in the small hole in the lock and the box popped open. Reaching in the box he pulled out a dull, rusty key. He threw the key onto Draco's lap and stepped down from the chair. "It's the key to the grand files off of the Dark Lord's office. In case of emergencies while he's gone."

"Won't he know we used it and kill us?" Draco reminded Theo, sitting up in his chair. He picked up the key and studied it; it looked old and Muggle. It was the last thing he would expect would unlock the Dark Lord's office.

Theodore shook his head and smiled. "There're ten copies and they're all exactly the same. I know because he yelled at me once for getting his rug dirty and I found out later it was Lucius who had been in there." Theodore moved his chair back to his desk and took a seat. "It leaves a time stamp, that's all. I'll be sure to check out for the day before you use it. Then he'll know it wasn't me."

Draco ran his fingers over the rusty edges of the key and thought about exactly what he was doing. Using a key that was not issued to him was an automatic death. But he had already said and done at least ten things that required a killing charm in the last three days. What was one more rule broken? "Okay, I'll do it tonight."

"Just make sure someone else with a key is still here. Lucius normally stays until 7, and Dolores leaves at 5. That gives you two hours," Theodore told him. "Do not try and go in there before Dolores leaves. She watches the office like a Dementor, waiting to attack anyone who even looks at the hallway that heads to the place."

Draco slipped the key into his pocket and stood to leave. "I'll come over to your place after I leave tonight. I'll give you the key back and tell you how it went," Draco promised.

Theo nodded and smiled. "I'll leave for lunch and won't come back. Good luck," he whispered. Picking up his wand, he undid the silence and locking charm that he had placed on his office.

"Good talk, mate. See to it that you sign the files that come through," Draco called as he opened the door, trying to fool any prying ears.

He began walking back to his office, but soon found himself on the way to his father's. It was necessary to ensure that he would be staying that night until 7, like usual. It was crazy to think that he was planning to do something so against what the Dark Lord wished. He always imagined that even while not present, the Dark Lord was reading everyone's thoughts, and if someone was thinking of doing anything against him, they would be taken out of sight and killed. It didn't seem that that was the case. Maybe the Dark Lord wasn't as all-powerful as everyone assumed.

Draco visibly ducked as he thought that. He waited for someone to jump out and shoot a killing curse at him, but no one did. Maybe it was childish to think that any wizard could not have that much power. Maybe it was childish to think that any wizard could have that much power.

As he began to turn the corner to his father's small wing of the building, he stopped short. Lucius was crouching over Ginevra, and she looked quite scared.

"Why can't you just do what you promised?" Lucius snapped, yanking down the turtleneck to reveal the bruises on her. "Is this what you said you would do? You look like a silly little girl who doesn't know better. You know better!" Lucius pushed himself up from the desk and turned away from the girl. "You said you would bait _him_, and then I find out you slept with the Dark Lord! What am I supposed to think? Have you been tricking me this entire time?"

Ginevra looked somewhere between crying and fuming. She pulled the neck of her shirt back up and looked at Lucius. "If I didn't go with him he would have killed me. What do you think I should have done? You don't say no to the Dark Lord!"

Lucius rubbed his face and turned to face the redhead. He sighed deeply and shook his head. "Fine, I understand that, but my son. What is your plan with my son?"

Ginevra looked at her desk and closed her eyes. "Nothing," she answered.

"You didn't tell me everything when we got together. You lied to me and now it's coming back to ruin us, to ruin me! I cannot afford to have my life fall to pieces because you couldn't keep up your end of the promise and had to run off and hold Draco's hand." Lucius crouched back down to her, his voice dropping low. "My son is not here to steal your heart, he wants you dead."

Ginevra glanced up at Lucius, her face showing her confusion. "Draco doesn't want me dead, he wants to know why I'm here. I'm doing exactly…"

"No," Lucius interrupted. "He came into my office this morning and told me all about how you should be removed from the office and killed." He stood up once more and walked the meter to his office door. "Luckily for you, he settled on suspicion and not immediate death sentence. Maybe that'll keep your priorities straight," he said opening the door to his office. He stopped short of closing the door behind him and looked back at his secretary once more. "And keep your Hogwarts love flashbacks to yourself. Drudging that back up does no one any good." He slammed the door.

Ginevra turned to face forward in her seat and wiped her eyes. She managed to keep any emotions down and she pulled the book on her desk forward and opened it. She began mumbling something to herself as she read.

Draco couldn't hear what she was saying. He assumed she was reading the book aloud to herself until she sighed and her voice became louder for a moment.

"For Harry."


End file.
